Got questions? Ask the Board
TGA
Do you have questions about how TGA works? What's going on with The Travel Goods Show? Membership and its attendant benefits? TGA's Board of Directors would like to help. They're asking for input, and also hoping to provide answers to member queries. So if there's something you're dying to know — or have a suggestion you think will help the Association — now's the time to speak up. Please send all questions to info@travel-goods.org with "TGA Q&A" in the subject line.More

Who's repping your stuff?
TGA
A good website, email and telephones can give you a terrific virtual presence, but that's not the same as face time and feet on the sales floor. Which is why a good sales rep is still an essential part of a successful business plan. Find savvy, well-connected locals who can personalize your sales pitch and put your product on sales floors through the classifieds in Travel Goods Showcase, and take advantage of TGA's Sales Representative online member list — just visit our Industry Search page at www.travel-goods.org and check the Sales Rep box under contact type.More

As Senate is poised to vote to delay debit card swipe fee reform, TGA registers its opposition — we need your help now!
TGA
TGA and 307 other business organizations sent letters June 6 to every Senator opposing S. 575, the Debit Interchange Fee Study Act of 2011, and any legislation that seeks to repeal, delay or amend swipe fee reforms. The Senate is expected to vote on S. 575 this week. The limits on the swipe fees banks can charge retailers for debit card transactions were included as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) approved by Congress last summer. The Federal Reserve is set to finalize the regulations next month (July), but key members of Congress, at the behest of the banks, have proposed amending the law to delay the new limits. Every month of delay in the new limits costs U.S. businesses over $1 billion in excessive, unreasonable, and unjustified debit card swipe fees. Contact your Senator NOW to oppose S. 575.More

TGA-opposed California trucking legislation now "inactive"
TGA
AB 950, a California measure that would have eliminated the jobs and rights of owner-operators to conduct business at California's ports was moved to the Inactive File on June 3. AB 950 declared that any drayage truck operator is an employee of the company who arranges for or engages their services. The practical effect of this bill was to ban all independent contractors, also known as owner-operators, from California ports and negatively impact activity at the ports by driving up costs. These owner-operators have chosen not to be an employee for their own economic reasons and AB 950 goes against their free will to choose where they work and for whom they work. The Inactive File is a temporary legislative holding place for bills that may be taken up a later date. Legislative rules, however, provide advance warning before the bill can come up for a vote again.More

Andean Trade Preferences Act renewal update — contact your members of Congress now to urge immediate renewal!
TGA
TGA and other stakeholder groups continue to advocate for immediate and retroactive renewal of the Andean Trade Preferences Act, which temporarily lapsed earlier this year. Although Obama Administration officials and key Members of Congress continue to express support for the program and the belief that this program will ultimately be renewed, a series of factors have conspired to delay its renewal.More

Have you found counterfeit goods? Click the "IPR Theft Button"
TGA
The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a task force consisting of several different departments and agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation and several others, has developed their "IPR Theft Button" for anyone to use when they encounter counterfeit goods. Please click here if you come across any fake goods to send a report to the IPR Center.More

Forecasts and trends in summer air travel revealed
The Star Globe Tribune
The Air Transport Association of America, the industry trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, estimates that an average of 2.24 million people will take to the skies every day this summer, a daily increase of 34,000 compared with last year. The forecast also shows that travelers are booking international flights in record numbers, reflecting an improving economy and the fact that air travel remains a bargain, despite higher fuel prices.More

Hotels.com gets physical with new workout video
PR Newswire
Hotels.com is making travelers sweat, in a good way, with their recently launched luggage workout video designed for travelers looking to feel the burn while waiting for their plane, train or automobile. According to a recent Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health study, road warriors who travel for business two weeks or more a month have higher body mass index, higher rates of obesity and poorer self-rated health than those who travel less often.More

Leadership is not an end in itself
Next Level Blog
A lot of people are drawn to leadership because they want power. Things often end badly for those who equate leadership with power. For those who equate the two, leadership and the accumulation of power essentially become ends in themselves. As Lord Acton wrote in the 19th century, "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."More

Recovery steps business owners need to take now
Entrepreneur
Few small businesses have escaped fallout from the economic downturn of the past few years. However, as many indicators begin to show signs of improvement, entrepreneurs need to position themselves to benefit from the recovery, says Jim Muehlhausen, CPA and author. "The default mode is that we're all very scared," he says. "Business owners don't want to spend when they're in doubt, but it's important to make smart investments in your business as the economy begins to rebound."More

Marketing tips for businesses of any size
American Express OPEN Forum
Every company — no matter its size — needs to get out the message that it's got what customers want and need. Saying it at the right time, in the right place and to the right people is the most effective way to catapult your business ahead of the competition.More

The "Tom Sawyer" strategy: How to get free labor
BNET
In Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain described how Tom got his friends to do his work — in this case, painting a fence — for free. Tom was onto something; getting talented people to contribute to your organization's output for nothing is a profitable business strategy that numerous organizations employ. And if you understand the social psychological principles they use, you can become Tom Sawyer-like, too.More